Section 89: Better to Offend the King of Hell than Lin Qiye! [6.3K words—please subscribe!]

Interrogating me?

Lin Qiye narrowed his eyes, turning his face to look at the young man.

Although the young man had come on fiercely, even suppressing him with his aura and unleashing killing intent...

Lin Qiye could sense it.

The young man had no intention of delivering a killing blow.

Lin Qiye let out a quiet breath. The shock in his heart faded, and his features turned cold and sharp.

He understood—his life was not in danger.

The only question was why the other party had staged such a scene.

Lin Qiye couldn't quite figure it out.

Seeing that Lin Qiye still had time to think, Wen Shuhong pressed down hard on Lin Qiye's shoulder.

"You haven't answered my question."

Lin Qiye's expression was blank.

"They deserved to die."

"Why did they deserve to die? Based on your word alone?"

"Yes."

Lin Qiye couldn't be bothered to explain.

The more he explained, the easier it would be for the other party to latch onto a point of contention.

So Lin Qiye simply became a man of few words.

Wen Shuhong raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise shining in his eyes.

In truth, he hadn't needed to interrogate at all.

The reason he did was because he'd picked up a couple of tricks from the fortune-teller in the city—scare them first, and it's easier to coax out the truth.

Yet Lin Qiye's answer...

Was a little unusual.

Wen Shuhong withdrew his arm.

His palm opened, slowly extending before Lin Qiye.

In his palm lay a golden jade pendant.

At this moment, the golden jade pendant was flowing with a dense crimson radiance, tinged even with purple-gold hues, shimmering like stars.

Lin Qiye looked utterly baffled.

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

Wen Shuhong smiled.

"Nothing much. You carry an extremely heavy killing aura and a thick scent of blood, so I thought I'd test you a little."

"Unexpectedly, though your killing aura is dense, your character is even better than I imagined. Not only do you possess a pure heart, you even hold ideal-grade convictions."

Wen Shuhong patted Lin Qiye's shoulder, his face full of surprise and admiration.

"Do you know what it means when crimson carries a trace of purple-gold? Do you know how rare a pure heart is, and what ideal-grade convictions can bring?"

Lin Qiye raised an eyebrow.

"How so?"

"Our Ideal Island has countless geniuses, yet only two helmsmen possess talent of this caliber! They are both unfathomable, abyssal immortal-rank powerhouses!"

"Would you be interested in joining our Ideal Island?"

"Our Ideal Island is dedicated to building an ideal nation where everyone is equal, where every person is a dragon... Though we've encountered many obstacles, on the whole, things are steadily turning more optimistic."

Wen Shuhong spoke with animated excitement, his spirit soaring, words pouring out endlessly—like an idealist showcasing his supreme cause.

Lin Qiye raised an eyebrow slightly.

His gaze drifted to the hundred thousand migrating civilians rapidly rushing toward Star City in the distance.

"Which city did they migrate from? Did a diamond-tier demon nest appear there too?"

Wen Shuhong frowned.

"From your tone, you also came from a small city? Which city? Did a diamond-tier demon nest appear there as well?"

Lin Qiye nodded.

"Our Li City also saw a diamond-tier demon nest appear."

Wen Shuhong looked south.

"Li City? Let me think... that direction, right? Apologies, I arrived not long ago and am still unfamiliar."

"If my memory serves, didn't Li City require crossing two Black Mist Marshes on the way?"

"Mm."

Hearing this, Wen Shuhong was somewhat taken aback.

"You crossed two Black Mist Marshes?"

"Sheer luck."

"Sheer luck? I recall that place also has a newly emerged Temple Demon. Even I wouldn't dare provoke it. You, merely a Platinum-rank Walker, actually crossed through?"

Lin Qiye was like an emotionless repeater: "Sheer luck."

Wen Shuhong: "..."

He understood now. This young man spoke sparingly, and no useful information could be extracted from him.

He could only look grave, gazing toward the direction of Li City.

"Li City has had no word for three years. We know there are people in Li City, but we can't get through. The immortal-rank Walkers are held back by other demons and can't come over. Even Star City's situation has become extremely dire."

"Sigh... how are the civilians of Li City supposed to be saved?"

Wen Shuhong was racked with worry.

As one of the three captains of Ideal Island in Star City, he truly felt a wave of helplessness.

Yet, just as that helplessness washed over him—

Ahead.

Song Shu led a group of Gold-rank Walkers, Platinum-rank Walkers, and the civilians of Li City, all surging forward.

The group moved at breakneck speed.

They were practically using every ounce of strength they had.

Every civilian was traveling light.

"Lin Qiye, you're still alive? I thought—"

Song Shu landed before Lin Qiye, utterly astonished.

Lin Qiye raised an eyebrow and immediately patted Song Shu's shoulder.

"Get into the city first. Some things can wait until later."

Song Shu was stunned for a moment.

Then he caught the subtext.

Meaning he didn't want others to know about the Temple Demon, right?

He understood.

Immediately, he kept his mouth shut about the Temple Demon.

But beside them, Wen Shuhong was full of curiosity.

"You all came from Li City? You didn't encounter any demons on the way? What about the Temple Demon?"

Song Shu exhaled several deep breaths.

"I don't know. Last night, a pillar of light suddenly shot up from the direction of Star City, and then... all the demons near Li City vanished. The sculpture demons, the neck-twisting demons, the Temple Demon—all gone without a trace."

"Could it be that a powerful expert from Star City made a move?"

Song Shu's acting was impeccable. Whether it was the bewildered light in his eyes or the furrowed brows, no trace of performance could be detected.

Hearing this, Wen Shuhong was flabbergasted.

"Is that so? I'll go back and ask. Star City shouldn't have any immortal-rank powerhouses, right? Could it be that an expert from Ideal Island came to support? That would be wonderful."

"The Temple Demon had the greatest potential! If left to develop, the entire Star City would be in danger of collapse."

"Being able to eliminate the Temple Demon at least halves the pressure on Star City!"

Wen Shuhong let out a relieved laugh.

"Excellent! Things are steadily turning more optimistic."

"Li Ren, take the civilians of Li City into the city and head straight to Ideal Island's territory."

Wen Shuhong waved his hand grandly.

The Platinum-rank Walker named Li Ren hurriedly nodded.

Song Shu glanced at Lin Qiye.

As if seeking Lin Qiye's approval.

Though he couldn't be certain that last night's pillar of light came from Lin Qiye, he could guarantee that Lin Qiye was the one who had eliminated the Temple Demon!

Moreover—

On the way here, he had seen Li You and the Jianghu Sect Walkers, all dead.

He had long stopped treating Lin Qiye as a fourteen-year-old child.

Instead, he treated him as the pillar of the group.

At this moment, he was indeed seeking Lin Qiye's opinion.

Lin Qiye nodded.

"Go. Ideal Island isn't bad—quite similar to Uncle Song's academy faction."

"Alright."

Song Shu grinned widely.

Being called "Uncle Song" by Lin Qiye put him in excellent spirits.

He quickly merged back into the group.

And hurried into the nearby Star City.

"So you're willing to join Ideal Island?"

"Mm... anyone who can save civilians probably isn't too bad."

Wen Shuhong patted Lin Qiye's shoulder.

"Young man, I've got my eye on you."

"This Po Yi jade pendant is yours."

"Hold on to this, and you're a member of Ideal Island. No one in Star City will dare lay a hand on you carelessly. If anything comes up, come find me at Ideal Island anytime!"

Wen Shuhong pressed the jade pendant into Lin Qiye's hand.

"Drop a drop of blood on it. It's a type of artifact—not particularly high-end, but with it, you'll be much safer."

Lin Qiye nodded.

His intuition told him.

There was nothing wrong with the jade pendant.

So Lin Qiye dripped a drop of blood onto it.

"Thanks. I'll head into the city first to see some friends. When I have time, I'll come check out Ideal Island."

With that, Lin Qiye swiftly dashed into the city.

But suddenly—

The sky darkened, leaden clouds surging from afar.

An utterly terrifying, evil aura locked onto Lin Qiye's brow from ten thousand meters away.

Like a sniper rifle aimed squarely at Lin Qiye's head.

Lin Qiye's hair stood on end.

"Damn it! Who's got their eyes on me now?!"

Lin Qiye was startled.

This time, he truly felt the threat of death.

It was as if the gates of hell had opened right before him.

Cold sweat poured down Lin Qiye's back, chilling him to the bone.

Instinctively, he unfurled the golden wings behind him and vanished from his spot in an instant. His speed was so great that Walkers below Platinum rank couldn't see his figure at all.

But!

The evil aura locked onto him was even faster.

And the world-destroying pressure drew closer and closer to Lin Qiye, making his heart pound like a war drum!

"It's a diamond-tier demon that's got its eyes on me? Damn!"

Lin Qiye cursed fiercely.

"Coming out in broad daylight to suppress me? Am I really that hateful?"

His scalp tingling, Lin Qiye held his breath and charged toward the heart of Star City.

Behind him.

A pitch-black ghost-head attack locked onto Lin Qiye, tearing through ten thousand meters of space in an instant, slamming toward the back of his heart.

Lin Qiye's heart leaped into his throat.

"It's a top-tier diamond demon! With my early-stage He Dao cultivation, there's no way I can dodge this—what do I do?"

Lin Qiye gritted his teeth, his face deathly pale.

Beside him.

Wen Shuhong raised an eyebrow, stunned into disbelief.

"A diamond-tier demon personally moving to pursue Lin Qiye?"

"What exactly did he do to earn such hatred?"

Wen Shuhong was utterly astonished.

He couldn't understand it at all.

However, despite his astonishment, he didn't hesitate for even a moment.

A golden mountain materialized before him.

The mountain was massive, radiant with flowing light, strange divine runes rippling across its surface. Its heavy aura suppressed everything within a thousand meters.

Even the pitch-black ghost-head attack slowed considerably.

And in that flash of an instant—

The mountain stood before Lin Qiye.

Blocking the diamond demon's attack.

"BOOM!"

A thunderous crash.

The golden mountain shattered.

But by then, Wen Shuhong had already placed himself before Lin Qiye.

Several more golden mountains materialized.

The ghost-head attack struck ferociously.

It pierced straight through five golden mountains.

Only then did it finally come to a halt.

Yet—

Having successively blocked that diamond demon's assault, Wen Shuhong was clearly strained.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

His aura wilted somewhat.

"Go, quickly! This demon's strength far exceeds mine. Take the civilians and get into the city now! Only inside the city is it somewhat safer."

Wen Shuhong shouted, his voice urgent.

The three Platinum-rank Walkers, along with the Platinum-rank Walkers in the group, hurriedly led the masses into the city at a dead run.

As for Lin Qiye—

He had already landed on the city wall early.

When it came to escaping, Lin Qiye had a knack for it.

However, Lin Qiye also knew.

If Wen Shuhong hadn't weathered that blow, he wouldn't have been able to block the diamond demon's lethal attack at all.

That attack was too vicious!

Only diamond-rank powerhouses could withstand it.

Even Wen Shuhong, a diamond-rank Walker, had been injured by the sheer force of colliding with the ghost-head attack.

Lin Qiye furrowed his brow, studying the demon that was rapidly revealing its true form on the horizon.

The demon was a three-meter-tall, humanoid nine-headed serpent monster.

Its body was covered in red-black scales, each scale bearing an unnatural luster that exuded a sinister aura.

Below the neck, it had a humanoid form, but its limbs were like mantis blades—both legs and arms sharp as steel swords.

The nine heads atop its neck were like nine snake upper-bodies coiled together, each resembling a cobra.

Nine snake heads, eighteen eyes, surveying all directions with contempt. Among them, two pairs of eyes glared fiercely at Lin Qiye.

The sinister aura made Lin Qiye's scalp crawl.

"I nearly killed you!"

"Ant, how dare you block me?!"

Two heads spoke at once.

One sneered at Lin Qiye; the other raged at Wen Shuhong for blocking its path.

Its nine heads writhed madly.

Its blade-like arms slashed wildly at Wen Shuhong.

Wen Shuhong hastily condensed golden mountains to defend.

Unfortunately, the nine-headed serpent demon attacked with extreme ferocity.

The mountains before Wen Shuhong collapsed by the dozens.

The terrifying slash force also scattered in all directions—if one was careless, it could cause massive civilian casualties.

Wen Shuhong had to divert attention to block the stray slashes.

Because of this, Wen Shuhong, already outmatched, faced even worse odds!

He had previously gone to support another city, rescuing a hundred thousand civilians, and had borne some wounds. Now... his injuries multiplied, staining his clothes red with blood.

His wounds worsening, Wen Shuhong gradually began to falter.

Lin Qiye frowned deeply.

"Fall back!"

Wen Shuhong glanced behind him with the corner of his eye. The three hundred thousand civilians had not yet fully retreated within Star City's walls.

So he spat out a mouthful of cold blood, his gaze resolute as he stared at the nine-headed serpent demon.

"I'll dye this ground with my blood today if I must, but I'll hold you here!"

The nine-headed serpent demon stared coldly at Wen Shuhong.

"Step aside. I won't kill you. I want the brat behind you! If you step aside, I'll spare all the civilians! I'll only kill him!"

Wen Shuhong frowned.

"Why do you want to kill him?"

"You don't need to know."

"Heh. In that case, let's see if this demon can kill me, Wen Shuhong!"

Wen Shuhong stuffed a handful of medicinal pills into his mouth.

The blood and qi within his body surged wildly.

His aura climbed higher and higher!

As a Hua Shen realm powerhouse, the pills Wen Shuhong consumed set his primordial spirit ablaze with roaring flames.

The nine-headed serpent demon's heads swayed, seeming somewhat impatient.

"Step aside. I only want to kill him."

"Absolutely not!"

"Then... die!"

The nine-headed serpent demon erupted in fury. All nine heads rose simultaneously, crimson serpent eyes dripping with green venomous vapor.

Without a doubt, this was battle mode.

Its eighteen eyes locked dead onto Wen Shuhong.

The two clashed violently in midair.

They fought until the sky turned dark, the earth split, thunder rolled—each boom deafening, enough to make one's scalp tingle.

Yet—

Though Wen Shuhong had taken the pills and entered a berserk state.

Facing the nine-headed serpent demon, he was still outmatched. He was blasted away several times, blood spraying from his mouth and nose.

But he stood proudly before the nine-headed serpent demon.

Like a mountain.

Not retreating half a step.

"I don't want to kill you. Step aside. I only want to kill one person!"

The nine-headed serpent demon spoke in a low, rumbling voice.

But Wen Shuhong's gaze remained unwaveringly firm. He took a few deep breaths and wiped the blood from his lips.

"You're a fifth-turn Hua Shen demon. I can't beat you. But if you want to kill someone, you'll have to cross my corpse!"

"I, Wen Shuhong, may be ordinary in talent, but I still stand tall between heaven and earth."

The nine-headed serpent demon gnashed its teeth.

Once again, it launched a ferocious assault at Wen Shuhong, the two becoming a blur of tangled shadows.

On the distant city wall.

Lin Qiye let out a deep breath.

"If this keeps up, Wen Shuhong will die for certain."

"The reinforcements inside the city will probably take ten minutes, right? Ten minutes—Wen Shuhong won't last."

"Should I try a sneak attack?"

Lin Qiye's mind raced.

"I should have an advantage against demons... Whether it's Ziwei true qi, that wisp of immortal qi, or my Qingxu divine thunder bone constitution—all of them should be able to inflict damage."

Lin Qiye narrowed his eyes and drew a deep, cold breath.

Then, with total focus and utmost concentration, he quietly began condensing an immortal-qi-infused Infant Spirit Sword Qi off to the side.

One minute later.

Sweat rolled down Lin Qiye's forehead.

"The immortal-qi-infused Infant Spirit Sword Qi can hurt it!"

Lin Qiye's spirits lifted.

He smiled faintly.

Once again, he composed himself, nourishing the Infant Spirit Sword Qi with immortal qi.

Another minute passed.

The immortal-qi-infused Infant Spirit Sword Qi was fully condensed!

Lin Qiye rose slowly.

His gaze burned as he stared at the nine-headed serpent demon.

"It took two minutes and thirty-six seconds to condense this single strike. In a real battlefield, condensing a move like this would've gotten me killed ten thousand times over. Fortunately, Wen Shuhong is holding the front line, giving me this chance."

"I wonder... can a diamond-tier demon withstand immortal qi?"

Lin Qiye smiled.

In a flash, he fired the Infant Spirit Sword Qi.

At this moment.

The nine-headed serpent demon and Wen Shuhong were locked in fierce combat.

Wen Shuhong had once again swallowed numerous pills, turning into a madman, fighting tooth and nail against the nine-headed serpent demon. Even the nine-headed serpent demon had sustained several shocking wounds.

Man and demon—locked in a death struggle!

But Wen Shuhong was nearing his absolute limit.

Lin Qiye watched silently.

He was waiting.

Waiting with his intuition.

Waiting for a moment when hitting the nine-headed serpent demon was inevitable.

He waited two minutes.

Lin Qiye's gaze suddenly blazed bright as he seized a fleeting opportunity.

In the blink of an eye.

The immortal-qi-infused Infant Spirit Sword Qi shot forth ferociously!

In that instant.

The immortal-qi-infused Infant Spirit Sword Qi tore through a thousand meters and slammed heavily into the nine-headed serpent demon's chest.

The nine-headed serpent demon was locked in mortal combat with Wen Shuhong—how could it possibly react to a sudden assault?

Especially one delivered at a critical moment Lin Qiye had carefully chosen with his transcendent intuition!

This was Lin Qiye's strongest moment.

Every hidden card had been played.

Every calculation had been pushed to its peak.

The nine-headed serpent demon simply couldn't dodge!

In fact.

The nine-headed serpent demon was indeed struck.

The immortal-qi-infused Infant Spirit Sword Qi blasted away a thick layer of scale armor, and even burned its ribs clean away.

The sword qi's damage...

To its heart...

Was only an inch short!

"Pity. Just one inch short of shattering its heart..."

"Too unfortunate... A miss by a hair is a miss by a thousand miles. The gap between a Platinum-rank Walker and a diamond-rank powerhouse truly is a chasm."

Lin Qiye suppressed the sweetness rising in his throat and shook his head silently.

His face was full of regret.

Completely unaware that he had crossed an enormous major realm to wound a diamond-tier demon!

Such an achievement—

Was terrifying to the extreme!

Thus, at the center of the battlefield.

Wen Shuhong's pupils suddenly contracted. He glanced at Lin Qiye from the corner of his eye, his heart churning with raging waves.

And the nine-headed serpent demon was greatly alarmed.

All nine heads stared in stunned disbelief, stealing a glance at Lin Qiye.

"You—I really must kill you!"

The nine-headed serpent demon's heads thrashed wildly, its roar rolling like thunder.

Its fury blazed to the heavens.

It wished it could charge straight at Lin Qiye.

And trample him into pulp.

However.

Wen Shuhong's eyes were icy cold. Seizing the moment, he launched a furious counteroffensive against the nine-headed serpent demon.

The nine-headed serpent demon had suffered a grievous wound.

Its aura dropped by three layers.

The flesh on its ribs had been burned away entirely.

And immortal qi was still eroding its chest—if it didn't deal with that, it might leave lasting aftereffects.

It dared not continue fighting.

It could only cast a venomous glare at Lin Qiye.

Then, swiftly retreated.

Seeing this.

Lin Qiye hovered in midair, swallowing the blood surging up his throat, then let out a cold, mocking laugh.

"Filthy beast. You escaped today, but one day I'll storm your lair and crush all nine of your heads beneath my feet! I'll make you understand what it means to fear provoking the King of Hell less than provoking Lin Qiye."

Lin Qiye's icy voice.

Carried a thousand meters outward.

The nine-headed serpent demon was furious beyond measure, but utterly helpless. It could only flee in panic toward the Black Mist Marsh.

Beside him.

Wen Shuhong, his aura withered, landed next to Lin Qiye.

His body was covered in wounds, blood dripping everywhere.

"You've been enduring painfully. Spit it out—it'll feel better if you spit it out."

Lin Qiye didn't say a word.

Though he'd nearly coughed blood several times, he'd forcibly swallowed it down each time.

At this moment.

Lin Qiye's features—his sword-like brows—carried an aura of extreme sharpness.

His expression was cold and stern. The anger wasn't written on his face, yet his unspoken authority was enough to make one's heart tremble.

And his repeated act of swallowing back surging blood made that ruthlessness all the more blood-chilling.

Even Wen Shuhong felt a shiver of dread.

Lin Qiye's breath was heavy. The Ziwei true qi within him boiled, innate true qi surging madly through his five organs and six viscera, yet it still couldn't suppress the injury.

Still.

Compared to the instant he'd unleashed the immortal-qi-infused Infant Spirit Sword Qi.

Lin Qiye at this moment was in much better shape.

He placed his arm.

On Wen Shuhong's shoulder.

Threads of innate true qi flowed into Wen Shuhong's body, dissolving the injuries within.

Wen Shuhong was stunned for a moment.

Then he smiled.

"Thank you."

Lin Qiye shook his head. "I'm the one who should thank you. If you hadn't blocked for me, I'd be waiting for my own head-seven memorial service in an urn by now."

Wen Shuhong let out a long breath.

"Why did it want to kill you? What did you do to provoke that thing, that it would come out in broad daylight to attack you?"

"You're that hateful?"

Lin Qiye's expression was innocent.

"I don't know. Maybe 'the capable are always envied'..."

Lin Qiye's gaze sharpened slightly.

Wen Shuhong didn't quite believe it.

But in the end, he didn't press further.

After all.

Everyone has secrets.

Especially that move Lin Qiye had used to wound the nine-headed serpent demon—it had genuinely left Wen Shuhong shaken!

That was... a fifth-turn Hua Shen powerhouse!

Killing a Platinum-rank Walker would take only ten seconds!

Yet Lin Qiye had managed to hold back a devastating strike, wound the nine-headed serpent demon, and force it to flee rather than continue fighting.

Absolutely terrifying!

Wen Shuhong marveled inwardly, patting Lin Qiye's shoulder.

"You'll be safe once you're inside Star City. Come to our Ideal Island—we'll protect you and make sure you grow up safely."

To Wen Shuhong's words.

Lin Qiye smiled lightly.

"Safe? Star City as it is now might not be safe for me at all."

"Especially with the nine-headed serpent demon showing up like this..."

Lin Qiye let out a deep, turbid breath.

His heart sank to the pit of his stomach.

Another secret of the demon race... Lin Qiye was aware of it.

It was easy for him to think of another possibility...

The nine-headed serpent demon was gone, but a far greater danger was already drawing near.

And that danger—or rather, several dangers—were hidden within Star City!

...

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